Self and james o conner



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. M. PAIRGHILD.

ELEGTRIGAL OUT-OUT. No. 340,868. Patented A r; 27, 1886.

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(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 2. J. M. PAIRGHIVLD.

ELECTRICAL GUT-OUT.

No. 340,868. Patented Apr. 27, 1886.

ATTORNEYS.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR:

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 J. M. PAIRGHILD.

ELECTRICAL OUT-OUT.

No: 340,868. Patented Apr. 27, 1886.

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UNITED A STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN MURRAY FAIROHILD, OF PORTLAND, OREGON, ASSIGNOR TO HIM= SELF AND JAMES OCONNER, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRICAL CUT-OUT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 340,868, dated April 27, 1886.

Application filed December 1'7, 1885. Serial No. 185,987.

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN MURRAY FAIR- CHILD, of Portland, in the county of Multn0- niah and State of Oregon, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electrical Out-Outs, of which the following is a description.

The object of my invention is to provide a cut-out for electric circuits designed to be placed at a point where the wires enter a building for connection with electric lights within,.which cut-out can be operated by the police or firemen to cut out the electric lights of any building without danger of shock to the person operating it and without interfering with the other lights in the circuit, and which cut-out shall be so constructed that the current cannot be turned on again except by a properly-authorized party holding a key, as hereinafter described.

Figure 1 is a front view of the instrument with the case removed, and showing the circuit closed through the instrument and out out from the lamp. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the circuit open. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the instrument. Fig. 4 is a view of the key for operating the cut-out. Fig. 5 is a front view of theinstrument. Fig. 6 is a cross-section of the same. Figs. 7 and 8 are views of the insulatingbushings by which the wires are carried through the case. Fig. 9 shows the application of the cutout to an electric lamp and circuit-wire. Fig. 10 represents a similar application of a modification of the invention. Figs. 11, 12, and 13 represent different views of such modification, Fig. 11 showing the lamp out out, Fig. 12 the circuit closed through the lamp, and Fig. 13 alongitudinal section.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 9, the case consists of a wooden back, upon which the parts are mounted, and a cup-shaped metal case fitting over it. The-wires g g, which constitute the short circuit cutting out the lamp, as in Fig. 9, enter the case through insulating-bushings h, and pass the wire 9 to the bifurcated contact e, and the wire 9 to the binding-post 1), whose inner end also constitutes the key-pin, which is in electrical contact with the switchlever 0. Then said lever is thrown to the (N0 model.)

left and rests between the branches of the bifurcated contact 6, the circuit is closed through the instrument, and the lamp, Fig. 9, is cut out or short-circuited, and in this position the word Off, borne by the face-plate of the lever 0, shows through a slot in the face of the case, indicating the fact that the current is cut off from the lamp. \Vhen the lever c is thrown in the other direction, it leaves the contact 6, and as the current is not new short circuited it passes onto and through the lamp. In this position of the lever c the word On, upon the face-plate of the lever, shows through the slot in in the casing, as in Fig. 5, and indicates that the current is on the lamp.

To give the necessary movement to the lever, one end is made disk-shaped and is provided with. a peripheral notch, i, and is pivoted upon the key-pin p. A loose disk, f, is also pivoted upon the key-pin above or in front of the lever, and said disk is also provided with a notch corresponding to '27, and adapted to register with said notch or be turned out of registration so as to cover it. The lever c is pulled to the left to close the cir cuit by a spiral spring,d, and is turned to the right by the key, (shownin Fig. 4,)whose bar rel is inserted over the key-pin p, and whose ward or prong passes through the notch 2', and secures by this means a purchase upon the lever for turning it to the right. \Vhen thus turned to the right to break contact, a fiat spring or yielding bar, 6, arranged behind the lever and provided with a lug or shoulder, b, presses against the lever, and the lug or shoulder locks the lever to the right, as shown in Figs 2 and 6, until the spring I), which is substantially parallel with the lever, buthas a hook at right angles thereto, is pressed laterally away from it. This is effected by apush-hutton, a, on the outside of the case, whose pin bears against the spring I), so that when the push-button is forced in the spring d causes the leverc to make a short cireuitand cut out the lamp.

\Vith the form ofthe device shown in Figs. 1 to 9 it may happen that,even when the lamp is out out by being short-circuited, the wires between the lamp and the cutout may accidently come in contact with the water or gas pipes, as in case of fire, and the current, instead of remaining short-circuited; will be grounded and may involve danger in this way.

I have shown in Figs. to 13 a modification of my invention,in which the wires leading to the lamp are entirely disconnected from the line-wire when the cut-out short-circuits the currents. In this case there are four contacts, 6 e e e, and when the current is on the lamp it passes down from one contact e to e on one side through the switch-bar, and up from contact e to e on the other side through another switch-bar. Two switchbars, cc, aremounted on the non-conducting disk 0, and when in the position shown in Fig. 12 one of the bars connects the contacts 0' e on one side and the other connects the contacts e e on the other side, thus allowthe the current to proceed tov the lamp. When the disk, however, is turned a quarterrevolntion, as in Fig. 11, the bar 0 connects the contacts a e,thus not only shortcircuiting the current, but entirely breaking connection with the lower contacts, 6 e, so that it matters not if the wires y do come in contact with the gas or water pipes no current can reach them and no damage be done. The other parts of this modification such as key-pin p, notched disk f, spring d for cutting out, locking-spring b, and pushbutton aare the same as in Figs. 1 and 2, the spring (I being, however, arranged about the axis of the key-pin, in order to give the backward rotary adjustment in opposition to the adjustment of the key.

Now, in defining myin'vention with greater cl'earness, Iwould state that I am aware that a separable key and locking mechanism have been used in connection with a pair of contacts and circuit-wires, one key being required to lock and the other to unlock the mechanism, as shown in Patent No. 213,064, and I do not claim this, broadly.

Myinvention has reference to aconstruction in which the looking or turning 011 by the special key can only be done by a specially-authorized person, while the unlocking and cutting out of the current can be done by anybody in case of fire, and to which end I employ as essential elements a rotary adjustable switch-bar and contacts, a separable key, a spring for retracting and closing the switchbar on its contacts, a yielding locking-bar for holding the switch-bar open, and a push-button operating on the yielding bar for allowing the switch to close and cutout the lamps.

I am also aware that the four contacts with rotary adjustable double switch-bars, as shown in Figs. 11 and 12, are old, as shown in Patent No. 324,711, and I make no claim to this construction, except in connection with the other essential elements hereinbefore mentioned.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is v 1. A cut-out for electric circuits, consisting of contacts connected to the conducting-wires, a rotary adjustable switch-bar having its axis formed as a key-pin, a separable key for turning the switch-bar, a yielding locking-bar for holding the switch-bar disconnected from its contact, a push-button for disengaging the locking-bar from the switch-bar, and a spring -for retracting the switch-bar and closing the current through the cut-out and short'circuiting the line, as described.

2. A cut-out for electric current, consisting of contacts connected to the connecting-wires, a notched and rotary adjustable switch-bar having its axis formed as akey-pin, anotched covering-disk, f, a separable key for turning the switch-bar, a yielding locking -'bar for holding the switch-bar disconnected from its contacts, a push-button for disengaging the locking-bar from the switch-bar, and aspring for retracting the switch-bar and closing the current through the cut-out and short-circuit ing the line, as described.

3. The combination of the bifurcated contact e, the rotary adjustable switch-bar c, having its axis formed as a key-pin on one side and a'binding-post on the other, the retracting-spring d, the yielding locking-bar b, and the push-button, substantially as shown and described.

JOHN MURRAY FAIROHILD.

Vitnesses:

HARRY G. BOYD, U. K. ARNOLD. 

